Hedgehog pathway activation in oral squamous cell carcinoma: cancer-associated fibroblasts exhibit nuclear GLI-1 localization.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of Hedgehog (HH) signaling molecules (SHH and GLI-1) by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect molecular HH signaling and CAF-related protein expression, including α-SMA and S100A4, in 70 samples of human OSCC. The colocalization of α-SMA and S100A4 with SHH was also evaluated by double-staining. In vitro study was performed using primary normal oral fibroblast (NOF) and CAF through immunofluorescence and Western Blot for CAF-proteins, SHH, and GLI-1. Forty-five cases (64.28%) were positive for α-SMA exclusively in tumor stroma, and S100A4 was identified in the cytoplasm of CAFs in 94.28% (n = 66) of the cases. With respect to stromal cells, 64 (91.43%) OSCC cases were positive for SHH, and 31 were positive for GLI-1 (44.29%); positive correlations were found between SHH and α-SMA (p < 0.0001, φ = 0.51), as well as between SHH and S100A4 (p = 0.087, φ = 0.94). Protein expression of SHH and GLI-1 was observed in primary CAFs and NOFs. Although SHH was found to be localized in the cellular cytoplasm of both cell types, GLI-1 was present only in the nuclei of CAF. Our results indicate that CAFs are not only potential sources of HH ligands in tumor stroma, but may also respond to HH signaling through nuclear GLI-1 activation. We further observed that elevated SHH expression by OSCC cells was associated with higher CAF density, reinforcing the chemoattractant role played by these molecules.

From Incidentaloma to Suspicion of Malignancy: The Diverse Clinical Presentation of Gonadal Schistosomiasis mansoni.

Schistosomiasis is the second most widespread parasitic disease in the world, second only to malaria. The usual places the Schistosoma mansoni can be found in are the rectal and sigmoidal venules, as well as other segments of the large intestine of men. It may also be present in other ectopic topographies. Gonadal schistosomiasis is an unusual presentation of Schistosomiasis mansoni and its different clinical signs and symptoms disrupt correct diagnosis and culminate in surgical treatment that is, in most cases, unnecessary. In this study, we report four cases of gonadal Schistosomiasis mansoni, two in the ovary and two in the testicles. These cases were clinically investigated as a bacterial infection, a benign neoplasm, and a suspected cancer, whilst one of them was an incidentaloma.

A rare component of psammomatous meningioma in a testicular teratoma.

We report a case of a psammomatous variant of meningioma arising in a pure and mature testicular teratoma. At immunohistochemistry, the meningiomatous component showed epithelial membrane antigen, S100 protein, and vimentin positive. Benign neoplasms arising in testicular teratomas are extremely rare. To our knowledge, we have not found any such report of psammomatous variant of meningioma in a testicular teratoma and any meningioma arising in a pure and mature testicular teratoma. This is a unique phenomenon.